Jack F. Looney, Jr.

The 2010 Distinguished Alumnus Award is presented to Professor
John F. Looney, Jr., EdD. Professor Looney has had a distinguished
career at the university as an educator, researcher, and mentor,
initially in the Department of Earth and Geographic Sciences and
subsequently in the presently merged Department of Environmental,
Earth and Ocean Sciences.

Looney joined Boston State University in September of 1968 and
continued as a professor when Boston State merged with the
University of Massachusetts Boston.

He has been involved in teaching, at various levels, for over fifty
years. Most of his educational life has been with the University of
Massachusetts Boston, where he was the go-to person for numerous
students. Interested in science education before it became
fashionable, Professor Looney has received several major college
and university awards for his teaching skills and his service.
Most notably, he received the prestigious University of
Massachusetts Service Award in 2001 for his service to the
university and community.

Looney also served as the chair of the Environmental, Earth and
Ocean Science, Department from 2006 to 2009. This was during a
crucial period where the merger occurred between a totally
undergraduate program in the Department of Earth and Geographic
Sciences with a graduate program in the Environmental Science
Department. His people skills, intellect, and resiliency provided
the direction and stability for this merger to be very
successful.